The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has assured Ghanaians that government will sustain flood recovery and sanitation operations until all affected communities are fully restored following the devastating floods that recently hit parts of the country.
According to the Minister, the two-day National Clean-Up Exercise organised after the June 29 floods was only the beginning of a broader and sustained recovery programme aimed at restoring affected areas and preventing future disasters.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim gave the assurance on Thursday, July 16, during a tour of selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Accra to assess ongoing post-flood recovery and sanitation activities.
The tour took him to the Korle Klottey, Okaikwei North, Ga East, Adentan and La Nkwantanang-Madina assemblies.
He explained that although considerable progress had been made in clearing debris, evacuating waste and desilting drains, the scale of destruction meant the work could not be completed within the initial clean-up period.
“This tour is an opportunity for you to see the progress for yourselves, understand why work remains in some locations and appreciate the operational processes involved in ensuring that all waste is completely evacuated,” the Minister stated.
Mr Ibrahim stressed that government remains committed to ensuring that flood-hit communities are restored to normalcy and, where possible, improved beyond their pre-flood conditions.
“Flood recovery operations will continue until communities are restored,” he assured.
The Minister said the objective of the exercise extends beyond immediate relief efforts and includes building cleaner, healthier and more resilient communities capable of withstanding future flooding incidents.
During the inspection, he commended local assemblies for their efforts in waste evacuation and environmental sanitation but urged them to intensify sweeping, weeding and routine maintenance of major roads and public spaces.
At the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly, he praised local authorities for improving sanitation and beautifying portions of the municipality, while encouraging other Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to emulate such initiatives.
He, however, directed the assembly to address lingering sanitation challenges and rehabilitate deteriorating facilities at the Madina Market to improve conditions for traders and residents.
